Push needed for more women in Vanuatu politics

The Vanuatu Council of Women says the government needs to come up with more strategies to push women's political representation in the country.

The non-governmental organisation has launched a report on women's participation in politics from 2009 to now to mark National Women's Day.

The coordinator of the study, Seman Serekan, says no women being elected in the 2012 general election forced the government to introduce reserved seats for women in municipal elections.

Ms Serekan says there are more barriers to women's participation in national politics which should be challenged.

"With 17 women who participated as contestants in the 2008 elections, and with 18 women in the 2012 general elections, we still find that the number of women who are getting elected into parliament, it's either one or two women, and then it goes to nil."

Seman Serekan says the introduction of reserved seats for women, more support from male leaders and scholarships for tertiary education may contribute to turning the situation around.